A Lottery Winner In Ontario Took His Ticket To Multiple Stores To Make Sure It Was Legit

A lottery winner in Ontario went above and beyond to check the legitimacy of his ticket after winning $1 million in the September 17, 2022, Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball Draw.

Richmond Hill resident Alton Johnson, a regular lottery player, admitted he's been waiting a long time to hit big while collecting his winnings at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto.

"I've been practicing for this moment for 32 years!" he gushed.

Despite decades of anticipation, Johnson was more than a bit skeptical after discovering his win on Thanksgiving weekend.

"I thought there was an error on the machine, so I scanned it again and took a closer look. I took a photo of the screen and sent it to my wife, but she was busy preparing Thanksgiving dinner, so I had to go home and tell her," he said.

"We took the ticket to a different store to check it, and that's when we finally believed it was true because there's no way two machines were defective," he added.

Shockingly, the 51-year-old father and education worker revealed that the feeling of winning was even more special to him than the money.

"I know the odds are slim, so when it happened, it was unbelievable – it's been nice!"

As for what he plans to do with the life-changing sum, Johnson said the first thing he's doing is treating his wife to a vacation.

"We'll go on a well-deserved trip for some fun in the sun, and I'll put some aside for my children's education," he concluded.

If you or someone you know is struggling with problem gambling, refer to these helplines across Canada. Support is available.